Pre-order a Day One Xbox Live Gold subscription, get Killer Instinct free

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When Microsoft launches the Xbox One in November, the new console will by default have access to Xbox Live and hopefully a healthy selection of downloadable content. If you already subscribe to Live Gold and intend to purchase an Xbox One, your subscription will carry over on to the new console. However, Microsoft is trying to entice you to spend another $60 with a rather appealing Xbox One Live Gold offer.

We’ve already had the Xbox One Day One console pre-orders, but now they have been joined by a Day One Xbox Live Gold membership. It costs $59.99 when pre-ordered, and in return you get a 12 month subscription along with a couple of extra benefits. The first is a rather inconsequential commemorative Gold membership card, but the second is a free copy of Killer Instinct: Round One along with the exclusive character Shadow Jago.

If you are set on buying an Xbox One then this deal makes a lot of sense. It costs the same as the standard Gold membership, includes a free game, and just extends any Live Gold membership you already have. It also means you are guaranteed to have a game to play as soon as your Xbox One is set up and after however many gigabytes of download Killer Instinct ends up being.

Unlike the Day One console, it seems unlikely Microsoft will sell out of Live pre-orders unless it chooses to, but it is listed as a limited time offer. The only concern Microsoft may have is that if it proves extremely popular then the Live servers could grind to a halt on launch day as everyone tries to download their free copy of Killer Instinct.